


Pride

by Vizhi0n



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Anywho uh, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Emotional Abuse, F/M, Language, NSFW, Physical Abuse, Smut, Stalking, Thanos being degrading towards women, Thanos has a harem and this is an excuse to write this shit bc, Torture, extremely nsfw, im not ashamed idgaf, uh, ya know
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-04-04 23:51:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14031564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vizhi0n/pseuds/Vizhi0n
Summary: "Praise your master."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I wrote this at like 11:00 at night. Just. Thanos fucking a chick. Idk ya'll. I'm tired. Might be multiple chapters idk

“You don’t scare as easily as the rest of your kind,” Thanos’ finger prodded at my backside, smoothing out the ruffles of my dress. I couldn’t see him, just hear him. He’d given me simple instructions - go to the bed, stay on my hands and knees until he arrived. Don’t move.

I’d obeyed.

I wasn’t afraid of Thanos hurting me. Only once had he left a bruise, unused to bedding someone as fragile as a human. He wasn't an animal, he’d told me. He wasn’t going to injure something he considered valuable. Even if I was just a pet to him.

“Spread your legs,” Thanos instructed. “ _Wider_.”

I groaned at the sudden intrusion - a long, thick finger ran over my clit before dipping into my soaked opening. I instinctively rocked backwards, my grip on the silken bedsheets tightening.

He was _laughing_ , behind me. Anywhere else, that dark, deep rumble would have been intimidating. I rolled my hips again, ducking my head and keeping my mouth shut. I wasn’t going to beg, or whimper until he really drew it out of me. I chased my release, fucking myself on Thanos’ fingers until he abruptly pulled them out. Silence, and then a thundering crack as he landed a hard slap against my backside. I shrieked, slamming my forehead against the mattress as pain rippled up my spine, dissipating into a slow, steady, almost pleasurable ache.

“I’ve bedded many whores in the past, yet never a human, and never one so _eager_ ,” I dared a glance over my shoulder. Thanos’ bare chest was heaving, and he crooked one glistening finger and added, “Turn around.”

Still on all fours, I obeyed. My head hung from the edge of the bed, my gaze traveling from Thanos’ broad chest, towards the narrow of his hips, towards -

_Oh._

“Service me.”

The minute my lips touched his cock, Thanos sighed, a deep noise that reverberated through his entire body. I braced my palms against his things, nails biting into the rough grooves of his skin. I hollowed my cheeks, pulling him in before twirling my tongue around the head, making sure to caress each ridge, each crease. When I pulled away, saliva streaming from the bulbous head of his cock to my pursed, full lips, I clambered around, allowing him to line up his dick with my dripping entrance. 

“Such an obedient little thing,” Thanos tilted his head to the side, gazing down at me with a look of borderline admiration. I gasped, and he snapped his hips forward, drawing out a shriek. My eyes snapped open and my jaw dropped, the blanket of pleasure so thick that I could barely find my way around as I began to come. Again, Thanos bellowed, “Praise me, whore!”

“ _Yes, yes_! You’re so good, Master,” I whined. The praises weren’t false. The grin on Thanos’ face was so wide that it bordered on grotesque, yet I was still aroused, still wanting him. “You’re so good, so strong-I want it. I want more.”

“ _Greedy_ ,” Thanos exhaled sharply. He slowed his movements, milking out every last drop of pleasure from the both of us. “I’m going to fill your cunt so well.”

“Yes,” I gasped. And he did. His cock pulsed and he pumped hot, thick ropes of his release into my weeping cunt, pulling out and allowing the last few spurts to land against my lower stomach. Then he turned away, seemingly sated as I lay sprawled across his bed, attempting to regain whatever breath I had left.

“Remove yourself from my chambers. _Hastily_.”

“I need...I need my clothes,” I sat up. Thanos was still bare, looking me up and down as if such a thing were too trivial for him. As if I wasn’t naked on his bed, wearing his come. As if he hadn’t ripped my clothes to pieces. _Hastily._ “I can’t walk around the ship _naked_.”

“You could. Those on this ship know who you belong to, and they know the punishment for coveting something that is _rightfully_ mine,” Thanos turned to face me. He approached, standing over me. I half expected him to request that I service him again. This was the longest conversation we’d had outside of fucking.

Instead, Thanos reached down and grasped his own discarded outerwear. It was the shirt he wore beneath his armor. Without preamble, he tugged it over my head. The garment itself reached my knees.

“Be sure you return that,” Thanos spun and waved me away. “Now, remove yourself.”

“When...are you going to call on me again, Master?”

“When I desire you.”

“When-”

“Often,” Thanos replied, as if reading my mind. Although, knowing his power, he probably had. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement as I padded towards the door, barefoot, dressed in a too-big shirt with too-big arms. And yet, it felt like it fit.

 


	2. Chapter 2

I wasn’t free to roam around the entirety of the ship, but the parts that were open to someone like me, I took advantage of. 

I’d retrieved a new dress - the garment wasn’t anything special, just some stitched up, multicolor fabric that I’d been given. I no longer had to wear Thanos’ shirt, which left me with a problem. 

_ How was I going to get it back to him? _

I couldn’t just…go to his room and knock. Or, at least, that’s what I believed. I knew exactly where his quarters were, yet I’d never been allowed to venture near there on my own free will. I came when he requested me, left when he told me. We rarely conversed outside of sex, and I knew why - I was as valuable as the guard drones that roamed the halls. Disposable, reusable. 

I was left with only one option, and it was an option that I dreaded. The Black Order, the children of Thanos, they, were here, spending whatever time they had not torturing or conquering roaming around the ship. They were far from kind, mimicking their “fathers” disdain for anyone that wasn’t, well, them. Whatever interest they had in others had to be superficial. Except for one. 

Ebony Maw. He was the  _ only _ one who spoke to me directly, making eye contact, casually placing his hands where he pleased, but never _ there _ .  _ Never _ going against the direct orders of his father.   _ Don’t take what belongs to me. _

He was my only option. He’d listen to me, at least. It wasn’t a comforting thought. Summoning him would be easy - I’d begun to think that the alien creature was stalking me. He always found me. Always.

“I can look inside your mind, you know.”

“Is that how?” 

He was very nearly a foot taller than me, so when he walked, he was forced to hunch over a bit. His spindly arms were long, and clutched behind his back. His eyes were small, irises black and cold. He matched my pace, and I tried my best to respond politely, and keep the edge off my voice - no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t help but think that mouthing off to him wouldn’t be the smartest idea.

“It’s one of my many gifts,” Maw glanced at me. “A shame you were born as you are. I could have been your mentor.”

Closing my eyes, I nodded, letting out a sigh. In my sweetest voice, I said, “Maw, can you do me a favor?”

Maw looked at me, raising what I assumed to be his eyebrow - I didn’t see the eyebrow, but the motion was all to familiar, coupled with the look in his eyes. He hesitated, before saying lowly, “What does this favor entail?”

“I have to return something...Thanos let me borrow his shirt,” I ducked my head in embarrassment. “I’m not supposed to knock on his door unless called upon. If I’m with you, his son, he might be lenient.”

Maw tilted his head to the side, contemplating my words. I gave him my biggest, saddest doe eyes, swallowing my pride and cozying up to him, getting much closer than I was used to. “Please?”

“As you wish.”

That was how I ended up in front of Thanos’ door, Ebony Maw at my side. The shirt was neatly folded, the fabric crisp and clean. Maw’s gaze, for once, was no on me - it was on the door. His head was tilted, a curious look on his face. I was waiting for him to knock, and when he didn’t, I said, “What’s wrong?”  
“He is...currently engaged in an activity you are all too familiar with. But no matter,” Maw raised his fist and knocked three times, smirking at the puzzled glance on my face. The door swung open, and he stepped forward. “Father - you have a guest.”

The first thing I noticed was the grunting - I recognized it immediately. It was the noises Thanos made when he was with me. Or, in this case, with another - two others, in fact. Sprawled across the bedding, gaze entirely focused on the green skinned, three-eyed alien woman vigorously riding his dick, was Thanos. The woman’s counterpart, a blue skinned humanoid woman that I’d never seen before, cradled Thanos’ head in her lap, stroking the rough skin on his face and chest. He noticed Maw first, teeth curling back into a growl, before his eyes landed on me. The expression softened, though the hardness did not disappear entirely. 

“Leave it. On the floor,” Thanos kept a firm grip on the woman, voice strained. I obeyed, dropping the shirt where I stood. Then I turned and hurried past Maw without a word, back into the hallway, cheeks stained red. There was a tightness in me, right in the center of the chest. I attributed it to nerves but even then, in the back of my mind, I knew it was something else.

The door to Thanos’ room shut, and Ebony Maw appeared at my side. 

I felt the sudden urge to smack him. Hard.

_ He knew. _

_ He did it on purpose. _

When Maw’s long, ringed finger ran from the back of my neck, down my spine, I did not flinch. His touch stopped right above my hip, and he hummed in contemplation. “The great Thanos chooses his toys with as much deliberation as one would use when choosing a weapon for battle. Unlike weapons, toys are meant to be shared.”

“There’s no toy to play with if it’s broken. Permanently,” I yanked myself away from his touch. When I faced him, he was smiling. “If you touch me, Thanos will hurt you.”

“Better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

I glared, but said nothing. Instead I turned and headed off, towards my room, towards some semblance of safety - aware that Maw was watching me go. 

* * *

I hadn’t been sold into this weird, pseudo form of slavery. Thanos wanted women who were willing. There were so, so many of them. The galaxy was full of people searching for their version of power.

I’d been with the Ravagers for some time, before splitting - the rest of my days were spent employed by the Collector, spending a solitary life collecting whatever glowing space rocks I could find for his growing collection. I was paid with food, shelter. Safety. The Ravagers had given me that, but their ways of living were...brutal. Animalistic. Deadly. Death wasn’t something I enjoyed, and unlike most of the Ravagers, I wasn’t going to suck it up and get used to it. 

And then Corvus had come along, bartered with the Collector and seen me. That was when he’d offered the Collector a price - a high, high price that the Collector, of course, didn’t refuse.

So I’d been “fired.” Offered a job as a bedmate. The pay was food, shelter, protection. A lifetime of it, along with designated freedoms. My only job would be to fuck occasionally. Maybe once a month (Corvus had stated that his ‘father’ had plenty of women of all different species, but not a human.) 

I’d obliged. If all else failed, I could slip out, put in my resignation. Maybe slit the bastards throat in his sleep, if things got so bad. But then I’d arrived on the ship, and things became instantly more complicated. 

And I mean _ instantly.  _

Thanos. 

The most powerful creature in the galaxy, responsible for the deaths of billions. 

_ This is why on Earth, you sign legal contracts before you take a job. _

I’d been on this ship for a month. I’d been with Thanos almost a dozen times. It wasn’t until tonight that I was genuinely, actually nervous when he called me to his quarters. Less nervous than my first time with him, but still nervous.

The moment I entered, I began to undress - he stopped me.

“Not now. Go and sit.”

I obeyed, moving slowly. I avoided all eye contact, resting on the soft sheets. For a moment, the room was silent. Then, Thanos murmured, “Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

He sighed. It was obvious that I was lying. There was no confidence in my voice. Nothing. Something big cradled my head - his palm. His touch was softer than it had ever been before, and he knelt before me. “Tell me what’s bothering you. Be truthful. I don’t want to have to ask you again.”

“You...I saw you with the other women,” I glanced away awkwardly, fiddling with the hem of my dress. One one of Thanos’ fingers reached up and guided my face back in his direction. “I asked Maw to bring me to you...so I could return your shirt-”

“You were welcome to stay. You always are - be mindful of that in the future.”

“I don’t like sharing.”

I wish I could have framed the look on Thanos’ face. Surprise, coupled with curiosity. And something else -  _ pride, _ maybe? He took no offense to my words, yet I still cursed myself for saying them.

_ Jealous. You were jealous of those girls- _

_ You’d never seen him with those girls before- _

“So that’s what been bothering you? I never took you as the jealous type - it’s a dangerous thing,” Thanos’ big palm cupped the side of my face. He was smiling. “Am I not leaving you sufficiently satisfied? That can be remedied-”

“You haven’t been neglecting me-”

“Then what is it? Why are you concerning yourself with the others?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. The dam burst and was raising my voice. Something in the back of my mind was screaming at me to stop, but I ignored it. “I don’t know why I’m jealous. Maybe I’m selfish. We don’t do this type of stuff on Earth - harems. On Earth we don’t _share_.”

“You are not on Earth. If you cannot accept the customs here - my customs - then simply _leave_.”

I gnawed on my lower lip, before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Fine. _Fine_. Whatever. You’d miss me too much, anyway.”

The playful jab garnered a reaction from him that I hadn’t expected - a laugh. A genuine laugh. His thumb swept across my cheek and he stood, gesturing towards the door. 

“I suppose I’d miss my little human. Now go and rest. I have something special planned for you tomorrow.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no clue where this is going

Thanos’ reward involved chains, soft, heavenly sheets and candles. I was frozen, not out of fear, but out of shock - even when I rested myself on the silkiest fabric I’d ever felt, face flush with pleasure. 

“Is this acceptable back on Earth?”

_ You’re asking me this now? _

“It’s...I...is this…”

“I have been neglecting you, little human. _This_ is your compensation,” Thanos rumbled, securing the chains around my wrist. The cuffs were soft and comfortable, restraining my arms above my head. “You will stay with me tonight.”

“I haven’t done anything to deserve this-”

“Of course you have. You’d been a good little  _ whore  _ for me, all this time. I reward those who put in the effort,” Thanos gently slid my dress up, past my knees, past my hips - I sighed when I felt soft, warm open mouthed kisses against my bare stomach. He was so gentle, cradling the back of my thighs and nipping at my skin with his teeth. 

I squirmed, gnawing on my bottom lip as his mouth lingered over my cunt. He inhaled and I lurched forward, resisting the the urge to moan, but one escaped me - a long, breathy one at that. It only spurred Thanos on.

My words caught in my throat. An idea was rising - a particularly dirty one at that. 

_ He’ll never do it. _

_ He’s rewarding you. Ask if you can  _ pick _ your particular reward. _

“Master,” I said, staring up at the ceiling. Thanos lifted his head, and my toes curled as I desperately tried to find the right words. Gushes of pleasure were flooding towards my pussy, and I finally mustered the courage to ask, “May I...experiment? Try something, with your permission?”

Thanos’ jaw twitched, and his eyes narrowed. I couldn’t move, and he must have taken in my flushed face and squirming body. Nothing but desire was evident on my frame. 

As if reading my mind, he said, “You want me in chains.”

“Yes. Only if...you trust me-”

“You’re one of my favorites, little human. Of course I trust you,” nimble fingers gently released me from my bindings. When I sat up, Thanos was eye level with me - I watched as he slowly took my place, easing himself onto the sheets. 

The cuffs wouldn’t fit around his wrists. I had to use the chains themselves, wrapping them around his arm and pulling them taut. I knew that they were useless - he could rip them out of the wall in an instant. 

I did it anyway.

_ Control. That’s all they are.  _

_ You’re in control. _

“Tell me if it hurts-”

“They can’t hurt me.”

I smirked.

“ _Cocky_.”

“You wouldn’t have me any other way,” Thanos tilted his head to the side, watching me slip from my dress, and then my undergarments. I saw his fists clench, the chains straining a bit. The pull seemed to deter him.

_ How long do you think that’ll last?  _

I straddled his waist, thighs clamping around solid muscle. He was watching, head lolled to the side, a curious look on his alien face. 

_ Surprise him. _

I gently peeled away his clothes, sitting back, going slow - teasingly slow. There was a moment when I rolled my hips, my heat catching a particularly sensitive spot between his legs, that he groaned and strained against the chains. He held back, resisted the urge to snap them clean from the wall. 

“Good boy,” I murmured, patting his cheek and letting his clothes rest in a neat pile on the floor, next to mine. “I need you to get me wet, first-”

“You’re commanding _me_?”

“ _Yes_.”

“I do not take orders from you-”

I reached back and palmed his heavy cock, my thumb swiping across the head. Thanos almost bucked me off his waist, and this time, he did pull the chains hard - hard enough that the wall groaned in protest. 

“You want more?” I cooed.

“Yes.  _ Now _ -”

Slapping him was a bad idea, I realized, but it was too late. The back of my hand connected with his cheek, the sound audible. The contact itself hurt me more than it hurt him - I’d forgotten that his skin was rough, nearly impenetrable. 

Even then, Thanos could recognize the action as a power move, one to assert dominance. Yet he said nothing, a little smile appearing on his lips. He was  _ waiting _ .

Boldly, I said, “Don’t say anything else. Speak only when you’re spoken too.”

The pain was exquisite. Even though my knuckles ached, the feeling was somewhat pleasurable. I felt _powerful_.

Gnawing on my lower lip, I placed my palm against his broad chest, shimmying up until I could hover my cunt over Thanos’ mouth. I could see the veins in his arms bulging as he did his best to restrain himself, keep himself level. It became more pronounced the moment his tongue swept through my folds. He knew exactly what to do, and my only job was to hang on, grasp at something - anything, the wall, my breasts, his arms - until I found myself begging.

_ “More. Yes, yes - more, please.” _

Usually he’d be talking up a storm, asking me, coaxing noises out of me. His lips were to busy clamping around my pussy for him to say a word. Only groans, which increased in volume as I came, hard, my own sounds overpowering his. 

The minute I slipped away from his face, he was snarling.

“Unchain me,” Thanos’ eyes were wide, lust-filled. His teeth glinted with evidence of my release, the sight alone sending a fresh jolt of pleasure from my pussy, straight to my core. 

I waggled my finger defiantly. The smirk on Thanos’ face returned, combined with something a bit more feral. I worked on lightning myself up, easing the tip of his cock past my folds, making sure that he could  _ see.  _

He pulled hard on the chains, and a slight crack appeared in the metal wall.

“Oh, fuck,” I breathed. I’d never ridden him before, and I never thought that I would. “Oh, fuck - Master... _ mine. You’re mine.” _

_ That’s what you’ve wanted. _

_ Him. Just him. _

Thanos wasn’t speaking. Just grunting, animalistic, watching his dick disappear and reappear from within me. Lips parted, teeth still glistening - all bathed in the orange glow from whatever sun we were passing by. 

“I can feel all of you. You’re going to come-”

“Yes,” I breathed. I didn’t care that he was talking, now. I just wanted release. I just wanted _his_ release. “ _Yes_.”

“Good, little human. _That’s it_.”

I clamped around him, hard, practically shrieking as I milked whatever it was that he had. Wave after wave rolled over my body, and I used his chest for support. 

He was next, letting out a bellow, pulling the chains until one snapped completely. He filled me up with his come, and I welcomed it. 

Then I fell forward, sated and exhausted, onto his chest. I barely felt Thanos shift beneath me, quickly freeing his chained arm.   A moment passed. I expected for him to kick me out - at least this time, I’d leave with my clothes intact.

Those dreaded words never came. Instead, one big hand began stroking my back. Goosebumps erupted across my exposed skin, and I very, very gently leaned forward to place a subtle kiss against his shoulder. His skin was rough, but warm. 

“You humans are amusing creatures,” Thanos mused. “Usually insufferable but...occasionally, surprising. Not a single one of the other whores has taken to me the way you have.”

“I’m sorry.”

Thanos eased me off him, letting me rest at his side. I hadn’t the energy to get up, and he knew that. Soft sheets covered my body, and I heard him murmur, “Don’t be sorry. I enjoy it.”

Then I drifted. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> legit just pure smut

“You’re awake.”

It was more of a statement than a question. Thanos’ rough voice pulled me out of my haze, and I managed to crack my eyes open all the way. Silk sheets, a soft pillow - I didn’t want to leave this bed, even if I were sharing it with someone like Thanos.

“I’m not used to luxuries like this.”

“Right. I forgot that a warm bed isn’t something you’re used to.”

“I don’t want to leave,” I heard Thanos chuckle at my words. After a moment, his big hand began stroking my shoulder. I melted into his touch, lolling my head back until I felt it hit his shoulder.

One round of sex had tired me out - I was sated, and I wondered if Thanos was as well. I didn’t have the stamina that the other alien women in his harem had, which should have made me even less desirable. Yet I wasn’t, to him.

“Are you sore?”

I snorted, finally mustering the strength to roll over and face him. Focusing on his bare chest, I murmured, “A bit.” 

He hummed. His small touches to my back didn’t stop, and after another moment, he removed his hand and stood. I ogled at his bare backside as he thumped across the room, through an adjacent door and out of sight. Then I saw him peek around the corner and beckon for me to follow.

“You need to bathe.” 

“Are you saying that I smell?”

“A bit of warm water would do you some good,” Thanos shrugged. “For your muscles.”

He was right. Just looking at the huge pool of water made my muscles clench - Thanos padded forward, entering first, before extending a palm to me.

The minute I took his hand he yanked me forward, into the hot water. I yelped, grasping his shoulders before sinking down and letting out a sigh of contentment. Thanos watched, hooking an arm around my waist.

I wrapped my arms around his in return. I felt him stiffen, realizing too late that the gesture seemed intimate. Scolding myself, I opted to hold on - what did I have to lose, anyway?

We swayed for a bit, sinking farther beneath the warm water. The lights were dimmed and the air smelled sweet, the aroma unfamiliar, but not at all unpleasant.

“We have these on Earth,” I murmured. When Thanos didn’t reply, I added, “natural springs. Pools of water that form above a volcano. You can sit in them, relax.” 

“We had those on my planet as well.” 

I glanced up, finally releasing Thanos and letting myself fall beneath the water, until it was up to my neck. I tilted my head to the side. “Titan, right? That’s your planet?” 

“It _was_ my planet. Overpopulation, war, _fickle_ things, destroyed it. It’s _nothing_ now. Just rock.”

“Sounds familiar. Earth wasn’t in very good shape when I left it. After I was taken from it,” I let out a sigh. “Men in armor were flying around, god’s were falling from the sky...maybe it’s a good thing I’m not there anymore.”

“All of that will be remedied, someday,” Thanos said softly. Before I could ask what he meant, his fingers were doing devilish, pleasurable things to my skin. “Since we have nowhere to be at the moment, we might as well pass the time.”

I giggled. His touches tickled, almost, and he was smirking, amused. When I batted his hand away, he scooped me up. Hooking my legs around his waist, I murmured, “I thought we were supposed to be _bathing_.” 

“We will, we will. Be _patient_ -”

“I’m not complaining - oh!” Thanos slipped a finger between my legs, and my knees nearly buckled - I recovered, throwing my head back and chuckling. The noises soon turned to begs, coos, and praises. Thanos added another finger, pistoning them in and at breakneck speed. “So good, yes, yes-”

“Turn around, hands on the edge-”

“I-”

“I said turn around, whore!”

I obeyed, bracing my palms against the tile edge. I knew what he was going to do, and I was already wet and ready for him - water sloshed as Thanos moved his big body behind me, gripping my hips with bruising force. Very, very slowly I felt him slide his dick between my cheeks, before slipping himself past my folds and claiming my cunt with one, hard push.

My nails scraped against the tile and I bit down so hard on my lower lip that I tasted blood. The noise that came from my mouth was downright pornographic, and I heard Thanos growl, “Move.

I moved, fucking myself on his dick, nipples hardening as they brushed against the smooth surface of the water.

“I want you to repeat after me, little human,” Thanos purred, the noise so low that it was barely audible. He rested one palm against the small of my back, still insisting that I do the work. I welcomed it. “Can you do that?” 

“Y-yes, Master-”

“Good. Say this: 'my tight little cunt belongs to my master.'”

Sputtering, I squeezed my eyes shut. When I opened them, I practically wailed, _“My tight little cunt belongs to my master!”_

“ _Again_.”

I repeated the words. Thanos’ breathing was labored, his grunts getting more erratic. I felt him twitch inside me, and I increased my pace. My eyes drifted from the pristine, tilted floor to the door - and that was when my movements slowed, unintentionally.

Thanos was occupied, staring, watching his dick disappear in and out of my pussy. But my eyes caught a figure peering through the cracked door, a recognizable figure - I would know those spindly legs and cold eyes, even after death. 

Ebony Maw’s other hand was beneath his cloak, working away at something near his crotch, eyes wide as he watched Thanos and I. He was unmoving, lips pressed into a line.

Before I could comment, let Thanos know that one of his children was peeping and jerking himself off, Thanos gave a bellow - Maw was quick to disappear, slithering away while Thanos leaned over and pressed his mouth against my shoulder. His words were unintelligible as he murmured, teeth nipping away at my skin, sending pinpricks of pleasure from my brain, through my spine.

“Ah, _shit_ ,” I gasped, clenching around him, milking every last drop. We came together, riding out the wave of euphoria.

“Beautiful,” Thanos breathed. “ _Mine. Only mine.”_

I turned to face him, peering into his hazel eyes. They softened, and I dared to stand on my tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss against his mouth.

“Do that again.” 

I smiled, and obeyed. The kiss lingered, this time, and when I pulled away, Thanos seemed perplexed.

“None of my other women have bothered to show such affection.”

“I’m not like them. I don’t want to be like them - I’m... _not_ them.”

“You want to be _better_?”

“No,” I sighed. “I...I want to be _me_ , first and foremost. I don’t want to pretend.” 

“The others - _they_ pretend,” Thanos moved around me, smoothing a strand of hair from my face. “Yet _you_ don’t. You want to be here. You _long_ for it.”

_Shit._

My face flushed red, and I gnawed on my lower lip. Beneath the water, my fists clenched as Thanos rounded on me, staring down.

“I do.”

“You long for me?”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“You’re strong. _Powerful_ ,” I admitted. There was a hitch in my voice, but Thanos managed to coax it out of me. “I feel things, when I’m with you. Protected. Wanted. I like that - I’ve missed it. On Earth, I was alone. Even as your whore, I’m _worth_ something-”

“You’re not a whore. Not after today,” Thanos replied softly. “You want to be worth even more?”

“ _Yes_.”

“Then I will make you worth more,” I glanced up, puzzled, but intrigued. He cradled my head between his big palms, like he always did when we were together. Then he said confidently, “ _You_ , little human, are being _promoted_.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOOLY SHIT.
> 
> Okay. I'm just. I have a few things to say because oh my god. First, thank you so much to every single one of you whose reviewed this (no this fic ain't over. sorry. lol. but we're getting there) because like...I've never had this many people review a fic of mine thats only like 4 chapters in. It's amazing and I'm so glad ya'll actually like this, because I started it out not really having a plan for an actual multi chapter story with other characters and drama and ya know...all that. But that's what its become, and this chapter really expresses that because, uh...it's intense. Yeah. Warnings for heavy, heavy violence and extremely mature sexual violence. So read at your own risk. 
> 
> Anyway, just, thank you guys so much for your kind words. Reading ya'lls responses have been a blast. Anywho, enjoy!

“Do not hesitate. Do not linger. One misstep, and your head will end up rolling across the floor. You enemies will not be as merciful as I am.”

“Nebula, I’ve never-”

“Held a blade in your sad little life? That’s unfortunate.”

I was panting, hunched over - sweat coated my body like a second layer of skin.

“Again”

“ _Nebula_ -”

“ _Again_. If you want to improve, fight harder, or else you’ll bring shame to me, _and_ to my father,” Nebula raised her blade, leveling the tip with my eye. Her voice was cold, black eyes unmoving. “Again,” she snarled.

I went again. My movements were quicker than before, but Nebula overpowered me. Again. Our blades clashed, and she narrowly avoided my attack before sweeping my legs out from under me. I landed, hard, sword sliding across the floor.

The edge of Nebula’s blade dug into my throat, one knee pinning me to the ground.

“Again-”

“ _Nebula,_ let her rest.”

I lifted my head, wincing. Nebula’s eyes travelled from me, across the room, to where Thanos was standing, rigid, arms crossed.

“You never allowed me to rest. Never. She needs to be pushed-”

“She is a human,” Thanos replied coldly. The minute he stepped forward, Nebula released me. The atmosphere changed - Nebula wasn’t exactly cowering in front of her father, but she wasn’t standing up, either. A touch of that arrogance, that smug confidence that she displayed while speaking to me, was gone.

I joined Nebula, standing. She and I were around the same height - her skin blue, textured, a fierceness in her that I’d never seen before. Thanos glanced between the two of us, saying, “You’re here to _learn_. Not to overwork yourselves. She’s improved, Nebula. That’s all I’ve asked for.”

_That’s all you want._

I could see myself improving, physically. My muscles were more defined, more pronounced. I felt faster. I didn’t burn out as quickly anymore. Five months of training had, indeed, improved me. Nebula had improved me, although I’d never mention that.

Thanos and I had continued our usual regiment, fucking, talking, even after my additional sessions with his protege, Nebula. One of his protege. Maw like to brag that he was the favorite, but even I knew that wasn’t true. Gamora was - I’d only seen the green skinned alien woman twice.

“She’s never fought a real enemy before. Whether or not she can hold her own will determine if she’s ready.”

Thanos’ gaze travelled to me. I palmed the flat side of my blade, shrugging. “I…wouldn’t mind trying.”

Nebula almost looked….proud of my insistence. She glanced back up at her father, huffing and crossing her arms. Silence, and then Thanos replied, “Fine. There is a task I need completed. She and Maw can accomplish it together.”

_Maw?_

_No._

_No. No. No-_

“I-”

Nebula gave me a sharp jab with her elbow, effectively silencing me. Her glare was enough, so I obeyed, shutting up and putting on the best poker face possible. Even then, Thanos didn’t seem to have missed the way my shoulders hunched at the mention of Maw’s name. He shot me a knowing glance before turning away, waving a hand. “Take a break. Both of you.”

We did. Nebula stepped out for a moment, before returning with two cups of water. She handed one to me, leaving me sitting on the hard ground, before moving to her own little corner.

I stared. After a long pause, she lifted her head and snapped, “ _What_?”

“There’s...space over here. With me.”

Nebula rolled her eyes and turned away. I huffed, staring down into my cup of water before pulling myself up, muscles straining. I approached Nebula and plopped down in front of her, cross my legs.

Silence.

“ _Really?_ ” Nebula drawled.

“You looked lonely,” I quipped. The blue alien rolled her dark eyes, shifting. She glanced around the room before leaning forward and lowering her voice.

“You shouldn’t have asked him for this. You are not a _fighter._  You’re his whore and nothing else.”

“He doesn’t think so.”

Nebula’s lip curled upward, and she smirked. “He isn’t fond of you. Don’t fool yourself.”

My eyes flickered to Nebula once again. Portions of her skin, the discolored parts, on her face, arms, legs, chest..they were metal. I’d known the moment we’d sparred and I’d grabbed her.

I didn’t dare ask. I didn’t dare look her directly in the eyes, either. They reminded me of a snake. Or a demon. A demon with a soft voice and a deadly blade.

“I’m sure that’s not true,” I murmured, trying to keep the conversation civil.

Nebula smirked. “Your naivety is almost cute,” she chugged the last of her drink, tossing the cup to the side. “ _Almost_. Now get up and grab your weapon.”

* * *

When I awoke the next morning, I was instructed to meet Maw and Thanos at the docking area. I forcefully dragged my sore limbs across the room, dressing, before fetching the sword Nebula had gifted me. It was a curved, sleek thing with a heavy handle. Five months ago, I would have felt awkward holding it.

_How things have changed._

I reached the bay, greeting Thanos first, barely acknowledging Maw. I could feel his gaze on me as Thanos reached out and ran his knuckles lightly across my cheek, the gesture affectionate and tender.

“I expect nothing but the best. Nebula trained you well,” Thanos murmured. “You will come back to me, alive. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I understand.”

“Good, little human.”

Loading onto the circular ship alongside Maw was nerve-racking, and I was quick to distance myself as the tall, spindly alien tinkered with the controls. I kept my head down, one hand occasionally brushing across the handle of my blade.

Yet, Maw did nothing. He focused on steering the ship, only addressing me when he felt it necessary.

 _“We_ are going to be visiting an old acquaintance of yours. Hopefully negotiations will go... _smoothly_. If not, you know exactly what to do and who to kill.”

_Knowhere._

I gulped, feeling the ship surge forward. For once, I wanted Maw to continue talking, so that I could get more information.

“What does Thanos want with the Collector?”

“He wishes to gain important details pertaining to something that _you_ have no business knowing about-”

“Then why did he send me with you?”

I couldn’t see Maw’s face, but his shoulders visibly stiffened. He glanced over his at me, glaring. “You are just as chatty and insufferable as the rest of your species.”

“Yet you were the one watching Thanos and I have sex and touching yourself to it."

Now he froze, and I saw his fists clench as he steered the ship through the vast expanse of space. For a long moment Maw said nothing, then, in a low voice, “If you speak a _word_ -”

“I won’t. Not this time. Not if you _back off_ ,” I interrupted, making my words slow and deliberate. Since I couldn’t see his face, I didn’t know whether or not it was working - my hand was still on my blade, the tension in the air palpable. “Whatever you want from me, whatever you’re after...I’m _not_ giving it to you.”

“You will.”

I pretended not to hear, sitting down and leaning against the wall. We didn’t speak until the ship approached the massive, floating rock formation that was Knowhere, the skull shape evident, a green aura seeping from within.

Frightened bystanders fled as the massive ship landed, hovering just above the surface. Maw dropped first, and I followed, flanking him as we headed towards the Collectors all too familiar shop.

I entered first. The vast space was even more cluttered than before, creatures, prosthetics, rare gems, statues from all over the galaxy hung, swung, and stood upright. I saw Maw eying the room lazily, fingers laced together as he surveyed the area.

The Collector was nowhere in sight.

“He might have gotten a tip,” I said. When Maw raised an eyebrow, I explained, “He knows about you. He knows about the Order - when Corvus came and grabbed me, he didn’t put up a fight. He’s a freeloader, and a coward. He won’t confront us unless we force him to.”

“The element of surprise was not on our side,” Maw drawled. “No matter. Whatever we wish to take is ours.”

“What are we looking for, Maw?”

“None of your-”

“It _is_ my concern!” I surged forward. Maw didn’t flinch, instead straightening up and peering down at me. “You dragged me out here. Thanos didn’t tell me _shit_ \- I _deserve_ to know what’s going on, and why I followed your ugly ass out here-”

“Are you _done_?”

I hit him. I acted on impulse, striking Maw across the face as hard as I could. The alien stumbled, dazed, and a bit shocked.

Shock turned to amusement, which wasn’t a good look on him.

“You really should not have done that,” Maw purred. “You’ve given me no choice but to retaliate.”

_Oh shit._

The pure blast of invisible cosmic energy sent me flying, spinning through the air like a top before landing, hard, on one of the cluttered tables. I slid and landed on the ground, the wind knocked completely out of my body.

“That wasn’t fair. I only hit you-"

“Life isn’t fair,” Maw lifted the table, flinging it against with the wall with a simple hand gesture. “ _Look_ at you. You’ve already _failed_ \- acting on impulse is foolish and _dangerous_. Nebula should have taught you that. You bring shame to her, and to Thanos. Such an offense deserves correction."

He was smiling. 

_Smug asshole._

I clutched my aching ribs, struggling to my feet. When I lifted my head, a pair of steely eyes locked onto mind. Maw’s long fingers twisted through my hair, grasping a handful and yanking my head back so abruptly that I thought it might snap. He was so, so close - he his scent, his breath, invaded my nostrils. I tried to turn away but he kept a firm grip on me.

_You know what’s about to happen._

_I did._

He bludgeoned me into the floor, not once using his powers. He was strong, for someone who looked so spindly and frail.

My head hit the concrete again. I saw stars. And then again.

_He’s going to kill you._

_Oh my God._

It hadn’t dawned on me. He was beating me to death. With each hit my body jerked and blood seeped from my nostrils and mouth.

_Do something._

_DO SOMETHING._

“ _Wait_ -”

My soft plea caused Maw to hesitate. I took advantage of that, nimbly drawing my blade and cutting a deep stripe just below his collarbone.

It wasn’t his throat, which I’d aimed for an had missed, but it was enough. He howled, hot blood cascading down onto me. I tried to roll out from under him, but he was still active - he snapped my wrist with ease, sending hot, fiery pain shooting from my hand to my brain. He let the broken limb flail before reaching down and snarling, using one hand to simply tear at my clothes, frantic, hectic, the blood streaming from his wound not deterring him. He palmed my bare breast, rutting into me like an animal in heat.

The minute he pulled his hand away and attempted to make a beeline for his pants, I struck, using what natural defense I had left: my teeth.

I bit down onto his jugular. His skin was rough, salty, and inhuman - I ignored the taste, squeezing my eyes shut and holding on. Maw’s scream was cut off by a choking sound as I tore a strip of flesh from his neck, sending blood spraying like garden house. It fell into my open mouth and onto my face.

He collapsed, rolling onto his back, stemming the flow of crimson from his wound.

_Kill him_

_Kill him._

I was shrieking, my good hand grasping my blade, raising it high like Nebula had taught me-

_“Enough.”_

A bigger, stronger hand wrapped around my arm.

I froze.

“Let it go, little human.”

I did nothing. 

Thanos’ voice darkened. From behind me, I heard him repeat, “ _Let it go_.”

Maw was gurgling, twitching, eyes wide. He was looking at something behind me - at Thanos.

I let my blade clatter to the ground. The noise echoed throughout the room.

Blood that wasn’t my own filled me mouth, dribbling down my chin. My tears came next, followed by heaving sobs that sounded foreign coming from my own mouth.

“Corvus, Proxima - deal with your brother,” Thanos pulled me back, nodding at his two children. Their wary eyes were on me, but they gingerly began tending to Maw while I was marched back to the ship like a child. It wasn’t until the doors closed that Thanos scooped me into his arms.

“You did well.”

I said nothing.

“I’m impressed. Maw likes to play with his food before he devours it - yet you prevailed.”

Still, silence. I’d stopped crying. There was a numbness in my heart that Thanos’ presence wasn’t mending. I hadn’t the energy to speak. My head pounded and I felt nauseous.

 _Sick_. I wanted to vomit.

_Get me out._

Yet I remained curled up in Thanos’ arms as if I belonged.


	6. Chapter 6

I had a concussion, three broken ribs, a broken wrist and nose, a shattered collarbone, and about a million bruises. Lying in bed brought me pain. Speaking brought me pain, yet I did it anyway. 

One of the medical drones was milling around my room, while Nebula leaned against the wall next to the door, lips curled into a frown. She hadn’t said a word - she’d just crept in and waited while my wounds were sprayed with salve and my bones adjusted. 

“You lived. I’m surprised.”

“What, you _wanted_ me to die-”

“I _expected_ you to die,” Nebula walked over, crouching so she was eye level with me. I could barely move - I let her observe me, eyes unblinking, head tilted to the side. “You should have listened to me. You weren’t ready, anyway.”

I stared. In a low voice, I asked, “Where’s Maw?”

“Confined. Thanos plans on punishing him - for losing, and for disobeying his orders.”

_ Disobeying? _ I tried to sit up, but failed - the medical drone forced me down with one rigid, metal hand. Before I could speak, Nebula added, “You’re lucky to be alive. Extremely lucky.”

“Your training saved me.”

A smirk appeared on Nebula’s lips - but she smiled. It was small, and brief, but she smiled at my words and ducked her head. She reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from my face, resting her palm against my cheek. I smiled back, letting out a huff. 

“I’m glad you learned _something_ ,” Nebula stood. Her eyes darkened, and in a low voice, she said, “But don’t think you can go up against my father if the time comes. You’ve now seen firsthand what he can do. _This_ was his way of trying to make you _stronger_. Trying to _use_ you-”

My head pounded - I winced. Nebula stopped, noticing my discomfort. She sighed, shortening her comment.

“Just...be careful from here on out.”

“I always am.” 

_Lie_. That was a lie. Yet I told it smoothly, closing my eyes as I heard Nebula’s footsteps get farther and farther away. 

* * *

When I opened my eyes, the medic drone was gone. Time had passed - I didn’t know how much, but the hallway outside my room was no longer bustling.

Then, footsteps. 

The door to my room opened. Thanos ducked a bit, entering. He looked around, a frown on his face.

_ He’s never been in your room before. _

_ Always the other way around. _

Without preamble, he asked, “How are you feeling?”

“You’re an asshole.”

Silence. Thanos stood, ducking his head once more and stepping forward. There was an air of hestiance around him, and something else that I didn’t recognize. I watched as he reached out to cradle my head with one, big hand. 

“I instructed Maw to test you. See how you would hold up in a battle against a much stronger enemy,” Thanos murmured. “I did _ not  _ tell him to…”

“Try and rape me?” I muttered.

Thanos nodded. I barked out a high-pitched, sudden laugh.

“He’d been planning it. He watched us while we were together,” I reached up with my good hand, wiping away a stray tear. “Did you kill him?” 

“No. He will be punished - at _your_ discretion.”

Very, very gingerly I sat up, mustering the energy to look Thanos in the eyes. Then I swung my legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the cold floors. I used my good hand to push myself up, nearly falling - Thanos caught me before I could. 

“Take me to him.”

* * *

Maw was strung up, kept afloat on his stomach in mid air by an invisible force that one of the guard drones controlled. His face was twisted into a silent, ugly grimace, and his own blood still coated his robes. He wasn’t able to speak, one hand extended in a silent plea for help.

His eyes followed me as I entered the room. His lips moved, but no sound came out. 

“ _You_ were the victor. _You_ decide his punishment.”

I stared. Maw’s eyes were filled with unrivaled hatred - all directed at me. I said nothing, and Thanos rounded on Maw, standing before him. 

“He and I already had our talk. He disobeyed me - tried to claim what was mine. He _knows_ that,” Thanos peered down at his child. “Make him _hurt_ , little human, just as he hurt you.”

The guard drone fiddled with the controls, glancing over at me for approval.

Gulping, I nodded.

Maw’s shrieks were loud and high pitched, like that of a pig being strangled and prepped for slaughter. The noise pierced my eardrums, causing my head to pound. 

Yet it went on.

“Stop,” I murmured. Then, louder, “ _ Stop _ .”

Thanos raised a hand. The guard drone obeyed, and Maw’s screaming ceased. 

The room went silent for a long, long, too long moment. When Thanos noticed that I wasn’t going to speak, he said, “ _Again_.”

Maw screamed. I squeezed my eyes shut as the noise went on until Maw’s voice was raw, and I was sure his vocal cords had simply given up. 

_ Stop _ .

“Stop,” I said. 

Thanos ignored me.

“Stop. _Stop it_.”

I was crying now, yet Thanos did not give. My knees wobbled and I squeezed my eyes shut so hard that I saw stars. Again, louder, I sobbed, “Stop. Stop, please.”

Maw went quiet. 

When I opened my eyes, Thanos was close, peering down. He cradled my face between his hands, a gesture that had once felt affectionate. Now it felt cold. Foreign. 

“Go back to my quarters and wait for me there.”

I walked on trembling legs, backing away as he turned back to Maw and nodded to his guard drone.

The screams started again, and I  _ ran _ .

* * *

 

“I should not have pushed you the way I did. I should have taken more time - been more careful,” Thanos said softly. “I’m sorry, little human.”

I sat, naked, on those warms sheets that I’d become so familiar with. Thanos was in the same state of undress, rough hands caressing my skin. 

I said nothing. Thanos rolled his shoulders, and I could tell that he was a bit put off by my lack of words. He pressed a feather light kiss against my shoulder, one hand slipping between my legs as he tried to coax something out of me.

It worked. I couldn’t help the soft moan that slipped from my mouth.

“So she  _ does _ speak,” Thanos rumbled. “And she’s  _ wet _ .”

He lifted his hand. I instinctively took his glistening finger between my lips, sucking lightly, tasting myself. 

Thanos reclined back, leaving my sitting, my palm pressed against his broad chest. 

“I did what I did so to make you _strong_. The galaxy is a brutal place - you need to become accustomed to that. I want you to _survive_ ,” Thanos murmured. 

“As if you’d care whether or not I died.”

“I wouldn’t continue to clothe you, feed you,  _ fuck _ you if I didn’t  _ care _ .”

“You clothe, feed, and fuck those  _ other  _ women.”

“You, and  _ only _ you, have shared my bed. The others, their time was up. I only desired _ one _ ." 

My hand curled into a hook, my nails raking down his chest as I snarled, “Desire and genuine love are two different things. I’m not sure if you even understand the latter.”

Thanos’ eyes narrowed. In a low voice, he said, “I understand it better than you could ever imagine.”

“Then show me. Fuck me like you love me,” I lifted my chin, sneering. “ _ Show me _ .”


	7. Chapter 7

_You’re safe here._

_Safe on this ship._

_Safe in his arms._

_You know that’s a lie._

A soft kiss against the top of my head prompted me to open my eyes. I inhaled, feeling Thanos shift next to me, removing one arm from around my waist. He said nothing, and I could hear him dressing, padding lightly around the room.

Finally, he asked, “How are your wounds?”

“Fine,” I gently rotated my injured wrists. It was still sore - the medical drone had done the best it could. I was lucky - alien technology allowed for rapid healing, and alien medicine eased what would have been a roaring pain.

“Good. How is your movement?”

“Fine.”

“No. How _is_ it? Can you run? Jump? _Fight_?”

I sat up. Thanos was serious, waiting for my answer with an impatient look on his face. I nodded slowly, watching as he walked around, extending a hand.

I took it. He pulled me to my feet, saying, “I’m pleased to hear that. We’ll need you in the coming weeks.”

I raised an eyebrow, but brushed his comment aside. He gestured for me to dress, and I did, sticking by his side as he walked through the ship. The second we approached his throne, I stopped.

Maw was waiting, rigid, robes no longer torn and dirty. He bowed his head as Thanos approached, greeting him with a sincere, clear, “Father.”

Then he looked at me.

Gone was the smugness, the suggestive looks. Instead he acknowledged me with something akin to contentment, as if seeing me washed away whatever worried he’d been facing. It was so uncommon that I stopped, causing Thanos to say, “He knows better, now. Right?”

“My behavior towards you was uncalled for,” Maw said, and the line definitely sounded as if it had been rehearsed. “It most certainly will not happen again.”

“It _can’t_ happen again,” Thanos rumbled. Maw nodded in aggrenance, and it suddenly clicked.

Oh.

_Oh._

I averted my gaze, trying not to let my eyes flit to Maw’s crotch area. I was tugged from my trance when Thanos patted his lap, crooking a finger.

“Come. Sit.”

I climbed the stairs, easing myself into his lap. His big arm wrapped around my waist, fitting me tight and snug against his chest. I tried to relax, sinking into his touch.

The moment was short lived. Proxima burst through the door, striding over and addressing her father - there was worry in her voice, and she said, “Nebula is gone.”

“ _What_?”

“She’s gone. She took a pod ship and fled.”

“Send Corvus after her,” Thanos said immediately, not even bothering to move from his seat. There was disdain in his voice, though not for Corvus, but for Nebula. “Have him bring her to me.”

“Alive? Or dead?” 

“Either way will do.”

I winced, turning back to look at Thanos. As Proxima hurried away, I said, “Nebula will come back I’m sure of it. You don’t have to...kill or hurt her.”

“No. I knew she would run - I’ve known. Just like Gamora,” there was a sadness in Thanos’ voice. “I failed Gamora, but Nebula...she was the sensible one. The rational one. And the most s _tubborn_.” 

“Don’t kill her.”

Thanos tilted his head. “You’re fond of her?” 

“She’s your _daughter_. You _raised_ her-”

“Yet _still_ she disappoints me. Her life is not worth more than what I’m trying to accomplish.”

“What are you trying to accomplish?”

“ _Balance_ ,” Thanos rose, discarding me in his throne. I sat, the seat to big, my legs dangling off the edge. “Stay here until I return.”

Then he was gone, leaving Maw, the guard drones, and I alone.

Maw turned and faced me, fingers laced together, posture rigid, as it always was. He said, “Nebula is a lost cause. _You_ are not. He’ll make you her replacement.”

I ignored him. Instead I said, “What does your father mean by ‘balance?”

Maw paused. He walked up the stairs, stopping beside the arm of the throne. “My good fathers philosophy is that this finite universe only has a finite amount of resources. In order to maintain equilibrium, individuals must be sacrificed for the greater good.”

“What?”

“Too many mouths to feed, not enough to go around. The only logical solution is to decrease the amount of mouths.”

“What about increasing resources?” 

“In a finite universe such a thing would be impossible. We have already reached our limit. My father is attempting to balance it back out.” 

My mouth felt dry. Maw’s face was stoic, his eyes focused on me. The door to the throne area opened, and Thanos marched back in. Maw slithered away, taking back up his post as if nothing had happened.

I returned to my seat in Thanos’ lap, nuzzling against his chest, my fingers tracing light patterns against his arms. A low rumble indicated that he enjoyed my touches, and when I shifted a bit, I felt something rather rough and hard poke against my backside.

_Rough and hard…_

_Oh._

I could see Maw stealing glimpses here and there - Thanos surely noticed, but chose not to say anything. The fourth time it happened, however, he spoke.

“Do you have something to say, child?” 

“Nothing, father. I was just caught up in my own thoughts.”

Thanos hummed. When I glanced up, something glistened in his eyes. Gnawing on my lower lip, I shifted once again, absently resting my palm against the growing bulge in his pants.

“ _Tease_ ,” Thanos murmured, pressing a kiss against the top of my head. Maw was watching, now, body slightly turned so he could stare out of the corner of his eyes. I gave Thanos’ cock a quick squeeze, making sure not to look Maw in the eye as I turned and slid between Thanos’ legs. I yanked his dick from the confines of his pants, lapping at the head, twirling my tongue over the bulb, earning me a low groan. Long fingers carded through my hair, and I was given murmured words of encouragement.

“I should excuse myself-” Maw began.

“ _No,_ ” Thanos snapped. “Remain here and be _silent_.”

I opened wide, taking him as a far as I could - I gagged when I felt his head bump against the back of my throat. The hand in my hair tightened, and Thanos gently rolled his hip, urging me to take more. Always more.

I pulled up, releasing his cock with a loud pop - I lapped up the string of wetness seeping from the head, before lightly giving his dick a few jerks. Now I turned, making sure to look Maw directly in the eye as I slipped one hand past my trousers. I viciously thumbed at my clit, enveloping my lips around Thanos’ cock once more.

Maw didn’t look away.

The noises coming from me were obscene - the wet, sloppy sounds of my mouth working vicariously around Thanos’ dick, while my own fingers pistoned in and out of my cunt. I could see Maw’s fingers twitch, lips pale, jawline pronounced as he clenched his teeth to keep from speaking. I winked, feeling Thanos twitch above me.

“Keep going, little human. Good. _Good_ girl.”

My pussy spasmed around my fingers, and a moment later, warm, salty-sweet spurts of Thanos’ release flooded my mouth. I gulped it all down like a woman starved, rising from my feet and nearly collapsing back into Thanos’ lap.

A moment passed. Thanos’ big hand stroked my back, and I could practically feel Maw’s caustic gaze boring holes through the back of my head. I couldn’t see him, but the tone of Thanos’ voice told me all I needed to know.

“You are dismissed, Maw. Go quickly.”

“Yes, father.”

Hurried footsteps - the door to the throne room slammed shut. Thanos’ chuckle was loud and mirthful, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the dirtiness, the filthiness, and the _wrongness_ of it all. My eyes watered, and I wiped them.

Thanos’ chuckle darkened, suddenly. I was lifted and placed in his lap, straddling his waist.

“I am not yet sated, little human. Undress for me. _Slowly_. Allow me to savor it.”

* * *

“We’ve located the power stone,” Proxima murmured. She glanced back up at her father and added, “No Nebula. Corvus returned empty handed.”

“Leave her be for now. We have more important matters to deal with,” Thanos glanced down at me. “ _You_ will take her place, little human.”

“What?”

“You have been trained, and you can follow orders. That is all I require of you,” Thanos replied. Proxima shot me a not so friendly look, but said nothing. I could feel the blade that Nebula had gifted me, heavy and strapped to my thigh. I absently ran my fingers across its handle, shooting a quick glance at Thanos.

“The stone is currently sealed away on Xandar. The Nova Corps are keeping it heavily guarded - stealth isn’t an option.”

“Ready the Chitauri, then,” Thanos instructed. Proxima nodded, gesturing for Cull Obsidian to follow - the massive creature brushed past me, but not before letting out a lo growl.

“Be _kind_ , Obsidian,” Thanos said roughly. “Do _not_ antagonize the girl in my presence.”

I ducked my head. A soft finger brushed beneath my chin, tilting my head back up. The pad of Thanos’ thumb gently swept a speck of dirt from my cheek, and he murmured, “You _will_ return to me.”

“What if I don’t?” 

“I’ll tear this universe apart until I find you.”

I smiled, exhaling. Thanos lightly patted the blade strapped to my thigh, nodding towards the exit - towards where the Chitauri would be waiting


	8. Chapter 8

Xandar was a massive planet, therefore our invasion had to be, well, _massive_. I’d never been in the thick of something so big, so _destructive_. My entire body was vibrating, trying my best not to let my teeth rattle - nervousness wasn’t an option. And here I was. Nervous.

The Leviathan roared - I was on its side, feet dangling off the edge. The Chitauri were bellowing, their war cries deafening. Proxima was at my side, Maw, Corvus, and Cull on the other. My armor was tight, but allowed much more mobility than I’d imagined.

“You’re _shaking,_ human,” Proxima called over the rushing wind. I glanced down - the massive island that housed the Nova Corps was growing larger and larger. “You’ve never seen _blood_ before. You’ve never killed. But today, you will.”

“Sister, please refrain from antagonizing the girl,” Maw said, and I could practically feel the sarcasm as he mimicked his father’s words from earlier. “Focus on the task at hand.”

“I’m just poking _fun_ ,” Proxima replied. “The human is in for a _surprise_.”

She wasn't wrong. The Leviathan was met with a barrage of blaster fire, the Nova Corps scattering their gold fighter ships. The onslaught was too much, and the Chitauri - along with us - were able to drop on the ground and head towards the main headquarters.

_Just focus on what you have to do._

Obsidian roared and charged, mowing down our oncoming attackers. Proxima and Cull were nimble, spinning and flipping and flying, while Maw and I made a beeline for the main building.

“ _Lower level_ ,” Maw instructed. “ _Move quickly_.”

For once, I listened. I drew my blade, taking a deep breath, steeling myself as I met an attacker and slice him open from neck to hip.

_Ignore the blood._

_Focus on what you have to do._

Blaster fire filled my ears and smoke filled my nostrils. Women and men screamed - soldiers, falling, flung around the hall with the flick of Maw’s hand. There was a tremendous bellow from outside, and the entire building shook - only for the roof to be torn away, scraped clean off by the tail of an overhead Leviathan. My fingers became slick with blood as I fought and I fought and I fought -

I slit the throat of an armored guard, spinning - Maw and I locked eyes before the building shook again.

“ _Shit.”_

A Leviathan, struggling to stay airborne as it was peppered with gunfire, split the building in two. Had I not been wearing such durable alien armor, I would have died, instantly, for the sheer force of the impact threw a wall, then through the floor, then through another floor. Dust and debris rained around me, and I heard a cry that sounded like it had come from Maw’s direction.

Then, blackness.

I closed my eyes.

There was a tremendous weight atop my back, digging into my spine. It hurt, _bad_ , and when I tried to move I realized that a massive chunk of debris was pinning me to the ground. I could still here the sounds of battle, but they were muffled, din and distant.

I wriggled a bit, managing to dislodge myself from beneath the debris. I had room to stand, and the area around me was dark, dripping, and filled with dust. I adjusted my helmet, before snarling and yanking the damaged mask away. I worked on feeling my way out until I emerged into a hallway.

The floor was dirt, and the hallway was old - _very_ old. Ancient, almost. I began limping, rolling my shoulders and checking for any injuries.

 _Nope_. Just bruises. Maybe a dislocated shoulder? I shook off the pain for now, wiping blood from my brow.

 _Lower levels_. That’s what Maw said.

These _had_ to be the lower levels - they were still intact, and underground, from the looks of it. I instinctively drew my blade, creeping along the wall, listening intently for any noise, anything out of place.

Then, I felt _it_.

A  _vibration_  - the same I’d felt on the Leviathan, which I'd written off as nerves. The feeling shook my bones and filled my entire body with warmth. There was a noise, this time - a low hum.

I went towards it, approaching the entrance to a larger room, and inside a purple glow that seemed to usher me in.

_Power._

There was so, so much of it that I stumbled, nearly dropping my blade. The power stone was contained, enclosed in a glass box, locked, safe - and right in front of me.

“Oh, shit,” I breathed, sheathing my blade. The box was half buried in the dirt, and looked as if it had been knocked down during the buildings collapse. The closer I got the more I began to vibrate, shaking like a wet puppy. Yet it still called, those hums growing louder and louder -

_Death._

I blinked. Wiped my eyes, and then squeezed them shut.

_Death. So much of it. Bodies. Blood. Chaos._

_Earth._

I opened my eyes. Now, I wasn’t alone. There was an older, blonde women standing on the opposite side, garbed in the high-ranking uniform of Nova Prime - I recognized her immediately. She had a blaster aimed directly at my head, and she was drawing closer. Her brows were furrowed, outfit streaked with blood and dust and dirt. 

“Drop your weapon.”

I didn’t obey. The older woman tilted her head to the side, studying me curiously. I, too, was dirty, face streaked with blood - some of it Xandarian, some of it my own. I began backing away, eyes still on the power stone.

“ _Take it_.”

“What?” Nova Prime said coolly.

“Take it,” I repeated. “Take it and _run_. _Now_.”

“Who sent you?”

“Thanos,” I let out a ragged sigh. “He's after that stone. And he’s coming - take it and go. Get it somewhere safe. I’m not going to stop you.”

Nova Prime didn’t hesitate - she snatched up the box, still keeping her weapon trained on me. I watched her back away, and when she’d put some distance between us, she finally went slack and let her blaster drop to her side.

“You did the right thing today,” Nova Prime said after a while. “I’ll remember this.” 

“So will I.”

Then she was gone, leaving me alone beneath the sounds of destruction.

* * *

 

Xandar was all but decimated, and returning to the main ship was much more mentally draining that flying towards imminent combat. I didn’t see Maw when I approached the Leviathan - Proxima was nursing a nasty wound on her head while Cull Obsidian was limping a bit. My own broken bones didn’t garner me any sympathy - not that I wanted it.

We waited a bit. Waited for Maw to crawl out of the rubble. The place was slowly flooding with members of the Nova Corps, and eventually, we had to give up.

“You saw the Leviathan hit him?” Proxima asked. I nodded, rubbing my temples. The minute we reached Thanos’ domain, I glanced around for the Titan - he was nowhere in sight.

“Which one of you is going to break the news to father?” Proxima said offhandedly. “We lost the stone, _and_ we lost his favorite _son_. I say the whore should be the one to do it.”

I rolled my eyes. I didn’t know how Thanos would take the two losses - knowing him, Maw’s death would be the lesser blow. Regardless, I headed to his room anyway, entering without knocking - such a little moment struck me, reminded me just how much had changed.

Thanos was sitting, head ducked - the minute I entered he stood, and I just started, blurting everything out with haste.

“Maw is dead. We lost the stone.”

“Xandar?”

“We...the Chitauri went about doing what you asked,” I winced. “The planet is halved.”

“Then my son’s death will _not_ have been in vain,” Thanos looked uneasy, a bit hesitant to speak. “As for the stone, it will be easy to track, now that the Nova Corps is no more.”

I let out a sigh, and Thanos approached. He began gingerly helping me out of my armor. My muscles were slack, and it was then that I realized how tired I was. I’d been blasted through a building, for God’s sake.

“Go bathe, and then return to my bed. You will rest here for the night.”

“ _Thank you_ ,” I mumbled, drunkenly dragging myself towards the bathing area. After I’d scrubbed myself raw, I climbed into bed, unclothed. The sheets felt heavenly, as they always did.

“You did well today,” Thanos murmured. “I am... _proud_. I…”

He stopped. I kept my eyes open, listening. Those fateful words never came.

“...am _confident_ in your abilities. Nebula trained you well.”

“Yeah. She did.”

“Now sleep, little human.”

So I slept.


	9. Chapter 9

I woke up to the feeling of a blade against my throat. 

Black eyes peered over me. Blue, full lips parted and I instantly recognized that face, that metal. My heart leaped into overdrive and I opened my mouth, only for the blade to press harder against my jugular, drawing a speck of blood.

“If you scream,” Nebula murmured, “I will kill you first.”

Thanos was sound asleep next to me, broad chest rising and falling with each long breath. I watched as Nebula drew another blade, keeping me pinned, while she studied her father with cold eyes.

“You don’t have to do this,” I whispered. “Nebula. _Please_. Get out of here - run.”

“I’m done running.”

My hand crept up, and I felt Nebula dig her sword deeper into my neck. Crimson drops splattered against the bedsheets and I craned my neck - my hand did not grasp for a hidden weapon. Instead I clasped her arm. 

“ _ Please _ .”

“You chose this path. You don’t have my sympathy. Neither does this monster-”

“He _tries_ , Nebula. He-”

“He _tries_? Is that what he tells you? He _tried_ to make you strong, he _tried_ to care for you, _love_ you - you’re falling for his lies. You think you can change him, but he’s changed you, just as he did with _me_ .”

I closed my eyes.

There was a bellow, and Nebula flew across the room - Thanos was awake, shooting up, moving with such speed and purpose that I realized he hadn’t been asleep at all. He swatted Nebula away as if he were swatting a fly, teeth bared. 

He’d been listening. _Waiting_.

Nebula landed with a sickening crunch, and I cried out in concern - Thanos stopped me from rushing over, clasping my arm and holding me back. Several guard drones burst through the doors, weapons trained on Nebula’s unconscious body.

I turned to Thanos.

“Please don’t hurt her-”

“You have blood on your neck.”

“ _Please_ ,” I ignored him. “Don’t hurt her.”

Thanos brushed past me. He stopped before Nebula, staring down at her. In a low voice, he instructed his drones to take her away. 

“String her up in the interrogation ward and await for me.”

I broke.

“Don’t _fucking_ hurt her-”

“ _Quiet!_ You will not speak-”

“She’s your  _ daughter _ !” I was shrieking, now. “If there’s any ounce of... _life_ in you, any ounce of love left-”

“I have _plenty_ of love left. Do not make me regret giving it to you.”

I staggered back, blinking. In my moment of confusion, Thanos slipped from the room. 

_ Go after him. _

I shivered, feeling that same familiar hum that I’d experienced back on Xandar. Shaking it away, I stormed after Thanos, following him into the interrogation room where Nebula was strung. I froze, gasping out loud - her cybernetic parts were disconnected, hovering a breaths width from her body. Her eye, her arm and leg, _everything._ She was open and exposed, and writhing in pain.

_ Please. _

I went to grab Thanos’ arm, but he pulled away. 

“You crept in here in an attempt to assassinate me,” Thanos rumbled, addressing Nebula as if he were speaking to a petulant, misbehaving child. “You forget - you are not Gamora.”

Nebula snarled and thrashed, but was help up by her invisible restrains. One arm extended, towards me - a plea for help.

“She will not save you. She can try, but she will not succeed.”

_ “She will,” _ Nebula ground out. "You're a monster. You are _nothing_."

Thanos shook his head, glancing down at me. He gestured to the control drone, and I closed my eyes and covered my ears as Nebula’s screams echoed around the small room. 

_ Stop. Stop. _

_ Stop it. _

“ _ Stop it _ ,” I sobbed. 

“Raise the intensity,” Thanos instructed. Nebula’s shrieks increased, and out of sheer desperation, I unsheathed the blade at my hip and _swung_.

Thanos reacted, swiping the blade away with the back of his hand. It flew across the room, clattering against the floor.

The room fell deathly quiet.

 Thanos was glaring, obviously shaken - he did a good job of hiding it behind a stone cold visage. 

“ _ Leave _ .”

“Thanos-”

“Leave. _Now_.”

I backed away. Nebula’s eyes were filled with something akin to pride - she was smirking, lips pulled into a thin line. I heard the door open behind her, and the grin was gone, replaced with something else.

I turned, and my entire world came crashing down. 

Maw was covered from head to toe in blood, his white hair matted and streaked with brown. In one hand he held the power stone, encased in its protective glass, and in the other, he held the severed head of Nova Prime - her mouth was slack, eyes white. The stump at the end of her neck had been cauterized, so it no longer leaked.

“I come bearing _gifts_ , father,” Maw crowed. “And one particularly _nasty_ reveal.”

Thanos glanced from me, then back to Maw. Then back to me again, his eyes narrowing. 

I couldn’t look Thanos or Maw in the eye. My shame was evident. 

“The power stone is yours, father. As is this trophy,” Maw lifted up Nova Prime’s disgusting, wrinkly head severed. I resisted the urge to vomit, doubling over and using the wall as support. “Your whore _gifted_ the stone to the Nova Corps. She _allowed_ them to take it, and did _nothing_.”

My head swam. I gulped, and my mouth felt as if it were full of cotton. I finally lifted my head and met Thanos’ gaze. There was no anger on his visage, just…

_Hurt_. Like he’d been physically wounded. 

“Is this true?”

“It’s true. Nova Prime revealed it to me while I was picking her apart,” Maw exclaimed. Keeping tight hold of the power stone, he dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “The terran whore left me for dead - she turned her back on us, father-”

“Quiet,” Thanos snapped. To me, he repeated, “Is this true?” 

No use in lying.

“Thanos,” I said shakily. Then, clearer and stronger, “Whatever you’re doing, it needs to _stop_ -”

“You defied me. You explicitly went against my orders-”

I craned my neck to meet his gaze. When I glanced behind me, Maw had risen, standing in the shadows with a smug look on his face.

_ Bastard. _

I steeled myself, placing my palm against his cheek, saying, “You love me. I _know_ that you do. You can dread it and run from it, do whatever you want...I’m here. I know what I want - _you_. And I need you...I want you to be happy. You don’t have to balance the universe, you don’t have to balance _anything_. You can just have me - all of me. The two of us can start something, _together_."

My words were getting to him - and I meant it. Every single word. 

He cradled my face between his hands, nodding slowly, eyes soft. 

“Father, do _not_ let this whore manipulate you! She is a witch!” Maw stormed forward. “We have a mission to complete! Remember your home planet, it’s people, _starving_ -”

“Shut up, Maw,” Nebula managed to ground out. But there was no stopping him, and no stopping Thanos. 

“Yes,” Thanos breathed. “ _Why?_ ”

_ Heartbroken _ . That was the word.

“I _trusted_ you. And you turned your back on me - just as Gamora did."

Heartbreak, and anger - hands that were on my face, cradling it, caressing it, were around my neck, now. Big hands. Powerful hands. They engulfed me, getting tighter and tighter until I couldn't breathe-

_ “Why _ ?” Thanos bellowed, and he _shook_. “ _ I could have made you a goddess! We could have saved this universe together _ !”

Nebula screamed. It wasn’t from any sort of inflicted pain, but from the sickening snap that came a moment after Thanos’ last word left his lips. Bone popped, thrown into disarray, and my body sagged. I felt it. I couldn’t breathe or move. 

Thanos stopped. That was when I saw it - true agony on his face as he realized what he’d done.

I felt a sharp pain, heard gurgling - my own. Then came the blackness.

Then came nothing


	10. Chapter 10

_ You did it.  _

_ Perfectly balanced. _

_ As all things should be. _

…

…

…

“Are you lost, ma’am?”

I rolled my shoulders, sitting on the edge of the steps. The gorgeous shrine, basking in yellow light, had been decorated. The little green-skinned girl with cherub cheeks, standing at the top, moved to sit by my side, huffing. 

“No. I’m waiting for someone,” I sighed. I’d forgotten to bring my watch - I scolded myself when I realized that I didn’t need one. Not anymore. I knew when he’d show up. 

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Gamora,” the little girl answered. “What’s yours?”

“Eh. Not important right now - are you waiting for someone, too?” 

“Yes. My father.”

“I’ll go find him for you. Wait here.”

I moved forward, gliding through the orange void. I could feel him, getting closer. 

_ He was sad.  _

I found him standing, head ducked. He didn’t move when I walked around him, stopping - I could have stood there forever, looking at him. Thinking about what could have been.

I wasn’t here for that.

“There are so many things you and I could have accomplished together,” Thanos murmured. “So many thing I _want_ you and I to accomplish together-”

“I’m not coming back with you. I can't come back."

Thanos lifted his head. His eyes were red-rimmed, a stark contrast against the purple of his skin. “ _ Why _ ?”

“No magic stones, no cosmic manipulation... _ you _ did this. _You_ have to live with this, now.”

“I have all the power in the universe, yet I still can’t change your mind?”

“You never could,” I reached out, taking his face between my hands and steering his gaze towards me. I looked deep into those hazel eyes, sighing. “I’m safe here.  _ Free _ . No pain, no hunger - that’s what you wanted for everyone, right?”

Thanos didn’t respond. He dropped to one knee, and I pressed a gentle kiss against his forehead. He stayed like that for a moment, sacrificing his pride and silently begging for my forgiveness. It was the first gesture of humility I’d seen from him, and marveled at the simple change.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know,” I murmured. “And you’ll learn. Now go - there’s a little girl over there, and I think she's trying to find you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...Holy SHIT
> 
> Okay, I usually save notes for the end and for rlly important updates, so I just wanted to thank all of ya'll because I never in a million years thought so many of yall would be reading my fics. Like. I actually started this as just a smut series/plotless thing but, as usual, it turned into something else because I can never stay in one lane. Anyway, I hope ya'll know that getting that notification every day and seeing ya'll review or hit kudos for this fic is something that makes me jump up and yell and squeal every time I see it. So thank you for that, and just...thank you guys. srsly. On here and on tumblr (my url is vizhi0n, for those of you who might be on/came here through tumblr) I had a blast writing this and I'm sure it won't be my last.


End file.
